HTC One M9 Review: Lollipop, Octa-Core Snapdragon, Boomsound Impress

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Introduction and Specifications

As has become the norm, major smartphone manufacturers are expected to launch a new version of their flagship phones annually. On top of that, the average consumer expects greater improvements and features with each successive release. It’s a tall order to meet such demands on an annual cycle, but that’s exactly where many of the major players find themselves. Now on its third iteration, the One line of high-end Android phones by HTC is hitting the market. It comes right around two years after the One M7, and just under a year after last year's HTC One M8.

Casually glancing at the One M9, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the handset for last year’s version. The 5-inch display size hasn’t changed, nor has HTC’s reliance on an all-aluminum and composite finish. The company’s design cues are now linked fairly tightly with the brand, much like Samsung has done with its Galaxy design and Apple with its iPhone - which in the One M9's case is a good thing.

The real magic with the One M9 happens within the shell, however. This year’s model has Qualcomm’s latest 64-bit engine, the Snapdragon 810. That’s powering Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop) and a new 20-megapixel rear camera, combined with 3GB of RAM and HTC’s Sense overlay. That's a solid put-up of hardware and software for sure. Below, we’ll break down everything behind the metal.

One thing seems certain, at least on paper: this year’s M9 is more evolution than revolution. Not that we’re complaining — we’ll take a honed Android phone with an octa-core processor any day of the week — but you won’t find any magical features here that aren't already widely available. So, that puts the One M9 in a bit of a tough spot. With the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge earning early accolades (our full review in the works), Sony’s latest flagship looking strong as well, and new entrants like Xiaomi and OnePlus proving that high-end performance can be had without spending a fortune, how does the M9 stack up? We’ll seek to answer that in the pages ahead.